Bruges (English) Brugge (Dutch)
A canal in Bruges with the famous Belfry in the background
Flag Coat of arms
Bruges Location in Belgium
Coordinates: 51°13′N 3°14′E / 51.217°N 3.233°E / 51.217; 3.233
Country	Belgium
Region	Flemish Region
Community	Flemish Community
Province	West Flanders
Arrondissement	Bruges
Government
• Mayor	Patrick Moenaert (CD&V)
• Governing party/ies	CD&V, N-VA, SP.A-Spirit, VLD
Area
• Total	138.40 km2 (53.44 sq mi)
Population (1 January 2011)[1]
• Total	116,885
• Density	840/km2 (2,200/sq mi)
Demographics
• Foreigners	3.52% (1 January 2007)
Postal codes	8000, 8200, 8310, 8380
Area codes	050
Website	www.brugge.be
Map of Bruges

Bruges ( /ˈbruːʒ/ in English; Dutch: Brugge, [ˈbrʏʝə], French: Bruges, [ˈbʁyːʒ], German: Brügge, [ˈbrʏɡə]) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located in the northwest of the country.

The historic city centre is a prominent World Heritage Site of UNESCO. It is oval-shaped and about 430 hectares in size. The area of the whole city amounts to more than 13,840 hectares, including 1,075 hectares off the coast, at Zeebrugge (meaning "Brugge aan Zee"^[2] or "Bruges on Sea"^[3]). The city's total population is 117,073 (1 January 2008),^[4] of which around 20,000 live in the historic centre. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of 616 km² and has a total of 255,844 inhabitants as of 1 January 2008.^[5]

Along with a few other canal-based northern cities, such as Amsterdam, it is sometimes referred to as "The Venice of the North".

Bruges has a significant economic importance thanks to its port. At one time, it was the "chief commercial city" of the world.^[6]

Toponymy[link]

The place-name Bruges is first mentioned as Bruggas, Brvggas, Brvccia in 840 - 875, then Bruciam, Bruociam in 892, Brutgis uico end 9th century, in portu Bruggensi around 1010, Bruggis in 1012, Bricge in 1037 (Anglo-Saxon chronicle), Brugensis in 1046, Brycge 1049 - 1052 (ASC), Brugias in 1072, Bruges in 1080 - 1085, Bruggas around 1084, Brugis in 1089, Brugge in 1116.^[7]

Probably from Old Dutch, cf. Middle Dutch brucge, brugge (or brugghe, brigghe, bregghe, brogghe). cf. Dutch bruggehoofd "beachhead", Dutch Brug "bridge").^[8] The Dutch word brug(ghe) would be variant form from the south.^[9]

Ultimately from Proto-Germanic brugjō- "bridge", "harbour bridge", "veenbrug" (cf. English bridge)

History[link]

Origins[link]

Very few traces of human activity in Bruges date from the Pre-Roman Gaul era. The first fortifications were built after Julius Caesar's conquest of the Menapii in the first century BC, to protect the coastal area against pirates. The Franks took over the whole region from the Gallo-Romans around the 4th century and administered it as the Pagus Flandrensis. The Viking incursions of the ninth century prompted Baldwin I, Count of Flanders to reinforce the Roman fortifications; trade soon resumed with England and Scandinavia.

Golden age (12th to 15th century)[link]

The Markt ("Market square")

An old street in Bruges, with the Church of Our Lady tower in the background.

Bruges got its city charter on July 27, 1128 and new walls and canals were built. Since about 1050, gradual silting had caused the city to lose its direct access to the sea. A storm in 1134, however, re-established this access, through the creation of a natural channel at the Zwin. The new sea arm stretched all the way to Damme, a city that became the commercial outpost for Bruges.

With the reawakening of town life in the twelfth century, a wool market, a woollens weaving industry, and the market for cloth all profited from the shelter of city walls, where surpluses could be safely accumulated under the patronage of the counts of Flanders. Bruges was already included in the circuit of the Flemish cloth fairs at the beginning of the 13th century. The city's entrepreneurs reached out to make economic colonies of England and Scotland's wool-producing districts. English contacts brought Normandy grain and Gascon wines. Hanseatic ships filled the harbor, which had to be expanded beyond Damme to Sluys to accommodate the new cog-ships. In 1277, the first merchant fleet from Genoa appeared in the port of Bruges, first of the merchant colony that made Bruges the main link to the trade of the Mediterranean. This development opened not only the trade in spices from the Levant, but also advanced commercial and financial techniques and a flood of capital that soon took over the banking of Bruges. The Bourse opened in 1309 (most likely the first stock exchange in the world) and developed into the most sophisticated money market of the Low Countries in the 14th century. By the time Venetian galleys first appeared, in 1314, they were latecomers.^[10]

Such wealth gave rise to social upheavals, which were for the most part harshly contained. In 1302, however, after the Bruges Matins (the nocturnal massacre of the French garrison in Bruges by the members of the local Flemish militia on 18 May 1302), the population joined forces with the Count of Flanders against the French, culminating in the victory at the Battle of the Golden Spurs, fought near Kortrijk on July 11. The statue of Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, the leaders of the uprising, can still be seen on the Big Market square.

At the end of the 14th century, Bruges became one of the Four Members, along with Franc of Bruges, Ghent and Ypres. Together they formed a parliament, however they frequently quarrelled amongst themselves.^[11]

In the 15th century, Philip the Good, duke of Burgundy, set up court in Bruges, as well as Brussels and Lille, attracting a number of artists, bankers, and other prominent personalities from all over Europe. The weavers and spinners of Bruges were thought to be the best in the world, and the population of Bruges grew to 200,000 inhabitants at this time.^[12]

The new Flemish-school, oil-painting techniques gained world renown. The first book in English ever printed was published in Bruges by William Caxton. This is also the time when Edward IV and Richard III of England spent time in exile here.

16th century onwards[link]

Bruges on the Ferraris map (around 1775)

Starting around 1500, the Zwin channel, which had given the city its prosperity, also started silting. The city soon fell behind Antwerp as the economic flagship of the Low Countries. During the 17th century, the lace industry took off, and various efforts to bring back the glorious past were made. During the 1650s, the city was the base for Charles II of England and his court in exile.^[13] The maritime infrastructure was modernized, and new connections with the sea were built, but without much success. Bruges became impoverished and gradually disappeared from the picture, with its population dwindling from 200,000 to 50,000 by the end of the 1800s.^[12]

The symbolist novelist George Rodenbach even made the sleepy city into a character in his novel Bruges-la-Morte, meaning "Bruges-the-dead", which was adapted into Erich Wolfgang Korngold's opera, Die tote Stadt (The Dead City). In the last half of the 19th century, Bruges became one of the world's first tourist destinations attracting wealthy British and French tourists.^{[clarification needed]} Only in the second half of the 20th century has the city started to reclaim some of its past glory. The port of Zeebrugge was built in 1907. The Germans used it for their U-boats in World War I. It was greatly expanded in the 1970s and early 1980s and has become one of Europe's most important and modern ports. International tourism has boomed, and new efforts have resulted in Bruges being designated 'European Capital of Culture' in 2002.

Geography[link]

Satellite picture of Bruges.

Municipality of Bruges.

The municipality comprises:

• The historic city centre of Bruges, Sint-Jozef and Sint-Pieters (I)
• Koolkerke (II)
• Sint-Andries (III)
• Sint-Michiels (IV)
• Assebroek (V)
• Sint-Kruis (VI)
• Dudzele (VII)
• Lissewege (with Zeebrugge and Zwankendamme) (VIII)

Sights[link]

Historic Centre of Bruges *
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Country	Belgium
Type	Cultural
Criteria	ii, iv, vi
Reference	996
Region **	Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription	2000 (24th Session)
* Name as inscribed on World Heritage List ** Region as classified by UNESCO

Bruges has most of its medieval architecture intact. The historic centre of Bruges has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000.^[14]

Many of its medieval buildings are notable, including the Church of Our Lady, whose brick spire reaches 122.3 m (401.25 ft), making it one of the world's highest brick towers/buildings. The sculpture Madonna and Child, which can be seen in the transept, is believed to be Michelangelo's only sculpture to have left Italy within his lifetime.

Bruges' most famous landmark is its 13th-century belfry, housing a municipal carillon comprising 48 bells.^[15] The city still employs a full-time carillonneur, who gives free concerts on a regular basis.

Other famous buildings in Bruges include:

• The Beguinage
• The Basilica of the Holy Blood (Dutch: Heilig-Bloedbasiliek). The relic of the Holy Blood, which was brought to the city after the Second Crusade by Thierry of Alsace, is paraded every year through the streets of the city. More than 1,600 inhabitants take part in this mile-long religious procession, many dressed as medieval knights or crusaders.
• The modern Concertgebouw ("Concert Building")
• The Old St-John's Hospital
• The Saint Salvator's Cathedral
• The Groeningemuseum
• The City Hall on the Burg square
• The Provincial Court (Provinciaal Hof)
• The preserved old city gateways: the Kruispoort, the Gentpoort, the Smedenpoort and the Ezelpoort. The Dampoort, the Katelijnepoort and the Boeveriepoort are gone.

Bruges also has a very fine collection of medieval and early modern art, including the world-famous collection of Flemish Primitives. Various masters, such as Hans Memling and Jan van Eyck, lived and worked in Bruges.

• 

  The Church of Our Lady.

• 

  The Dijver canal and the tower of the Church of Our Lady.

• 

  The Provinciaal Hof.

• 

  The Kruispoort.

• 

  The Dweersstraat.

• 

  The Beguinage.

• 

  The Groenerei (canal).

• 

  View from the Rozenhoedkaai.

• 

  An aerial view over one of Bruges' canals.

• BridgeBruges.jpg

  Bridge at Bruges, (ca. 1919)
  by Louis Dewis.

• 

  Roofs of old houses in the city centre.

• 

  The Burg square with the City Hall.

• 

  View of the Steenstraat with the St. Salvator's Cathedral in the background.

• 

  Part of the Markt (market square).

• 

  The Katelijnestraat.

• 

  The Bonne-Chière windmill.

Culture and art[link]

Theatres and concert halls[link]

Concertgebouw.

't Zand square with the Concertgebouw.

The Belfry – situated on the south side of the Markt.

City Hall.

Gruuthusemuseum.

Saint Salvator's Cathedral.

• Aquariustheater
• Biekorf
• Concertgebouw ("Concert Building")
• De Dijk
• De Werf
• Het Entrepot
• Joseph Ryelandtzaal
• Magdalenazaal
• Sirkeltheater
• Stadsschouwburg
• Studio Hall

Cinemas[link]

• Cinema Lumière (alternative movies)
• Cinema Liberty
• Kinepolis Bruges

Festivals[link]

Museums[link]

Municipal museums[link]

• Artistic works from the 15th to 21st century:
  • Groeningemuseum
  • Arents House (contains a Sir Frank Brangwyn museum and a museum for ever-changing exhibitions of expressive art)
• The Bruggemuseum ("Bruges Museum") (general name for 11 different historical museums in the city):
  • Gruuthusemuseum
  • Welcome Church of Our Lady
  • Archaeological Museum
  • Gentpoort
  • Belfry
  • City Hall
  • Liberty of Bruges
  • Museum of Folklore
  • Guido Gezelle Museum
  • Koelewei (Cool Meadow) Mill
  • Sint-Janshuis (St. John’s House) Mill
• Hospitalmuseums:
  • Old St John’s Hospital (Hans Memling)
  • Our Lady of the Potteries

Non-municipal museums[link]

• Beguine's House
• Brewery museum
• Hof Bladelin
• Basilica of the Holy Blood
• Choco-Story (chocolate museum)
• Lumina Domestica (lamp museum)
• Museum-Gallery Xpo: Salvador Dalí
• Diamond Museum
• English Convent
• Frietmuseum (museum dedicated to Belgian Fries)
• Jerusalem Church
• Lace centre
• St. George’s Archers Guild
• Saint Salvator's Cathedral
• St. Sebastian’s Archers’ Guild
• St. Trudo Abbey
• Public Observatory Beisbroek
• Ter Doest Abbey (in Lissewege)

Transport[link]

Road[link]

Bruges has motorway connections to all directions:

• A10 to Ostend
• A10/E40 to Ghent and Brussels
• A18/E40 to Veurne and France
• A17/E403 to Kortrijk and Tournai
• N31/E403 to Zeebrugge
• N49/E34 to Antwerp

Driving within the 'egg', the historical centre enclosed by the main circle of canals in Bruges, is discouraged by traffic management schemes, including a network of one way streets. The system encourages the use of set routes leading to central car parks and direct exit routes. The car parks are convenient for the central commercial and tourist areas; they are inexpensive.

Railway[link]

Bruges' main railway station is the focus of lines to the Belgian coast. It also provides at least hourly trains to all other major cities in Belgium, as well as to Lille, France. Further there are several regional and local trains.

The main station is also a stop for the Thalys train Paris–Brussels–Ostend.

Bus links to the centre are frequent, though the railway station is just a 10 minute walk from the main shopping streets and a 20 minute walk from the Market Square.

Plans for a north–south light rail connection through Bruges, from Zeebrugge to Lichtervelde, and a light rail connection between Bruges and Ostend are under construction.

Air[link]

The national Brussels Airport, one hour away by train or car, offers the best connections. The nearest airport is the Ostend-Bruges International Airport in Ostend (around 25 km from the city centre of Bruges), but it offers limited passenger transport and connections.

't Zand bus station.

Public city transport[link]

Bruges has an extensive web of bus lines, operated by De Lijn, providing access to the city centre and the suburbs (city lines, Dutch: stadslijnen) and to many towns and villages in the region around the city (regional lines, Dutch: streeklijnen).

In support of the municipal traffic management (see "Road" above), free public transport is available for those who park their cars in the main railway station car park.

Cycling[link]

Although a few streets are restricted, no part of Bruges is car free.

Cars are required to yield to pedestrians and cyclists. Plans have long been under way to ban cars altogether from the historic center of Bruges or to restrict traffic much more than it currently is, but these plans have yet to come to fruition. In 2005, signs were changed for the convenience of cyclists, allowing two-way cycle traffic on more streets, however car traffic has not decreased. Recent cycle fatalities have increased pressure to close bridges and further calm inner Bruges, but laws have not yet passed. Due to heavily populated suburbs, bus traffic is high on the narrow streets. This makes cycling even trickier.

Nevertheless, in common with many cities in the region, there are thousands of cyclists in the city of Bruges.

The Elly Mærsk, here at Zeebrugge port, currently one of the world's largest container vessels.

Port[link]

The port of Bruges is Zeebrugge (Bruges-on-Sea). It is the most modern and second biggest port of Belgium and one of the most important in Europe.^{[citation needed]} On 6 March 1987, the British ferry MS Herald of Free Enterprise capsised after leaving the port, killing 187 people, the worst disaster involving a British civilian vessel since 1919.^[16]

Sports[link]

Jan Breydel Stadium.

Bruges is traditionally the starting town for the annual Ronde van Vlaanderen cycle race, held in April and one of the biggest sporting events in Belgium.

Bruges is also a football town, represented by two teams at the top level (Belgian First Division): Club Brugge K.V. and Cercle Brugge K.S.V., both playing in the Jan Breydel Stadium (30,000 seats) in Sint-Andries. There are plans for a new stadium with about 45,000 seats in the south of the city, near the junction of the E40 and the E403.

In 2000 Bruges was one of the eight host cities for the UEFA European Football Championship, co-hosted by Belgium and its neighbour the Netherlands.

Education[link]

The KHBO campus in Sint-Michiels.

Bruges is an important centre for education in West Flanders. Next to the several common primary and secondary schools, there are a few colleges, like the KHBO (Katholieke Hogeschool Brugge-Oostende) or the HOWEST (Hogeschool West-Vlaanderen). Furthermore, the city is home to the College of Europe, a prestigious institution of postgraduate studies in European Economics, Law and Politics, and of the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), a Research and Training Institute of the United Nations University specialising in the comparative study of regional integration.

Town twinning policy[link]

On principle, Bruges has to date never entered into close collaboration with twin cities. Without denying the usefulness of this schemes for towns with fewer international contacts, the main reason is that Bruges would find it difficult to choose between cities and thinks that it has enough work already with its many international contacts. Also, it was thought^[who?] in Bruges that twinning was too often an occasion for city authorities and representatives to travel on public expense.

This principle resulted, in the 1950s, in Bruges refusing a jumelage with Nice and other towns, signed by a Belgian ambassador without previous consultation. In the 1970s, a Belgian consul in Oldenburg made the mayor of Bruges sign a declaration of friendship which he tried to present, in vain, as a jumelage.

The twinning between some of the former communes, merged with Bruges in 1971, were discontinued.

This does not mean that Bruges would not be interested in cooperation with others, as well in the short term as in the long run, for particular projects. Here follow a few examples.

Bastogne, Luxembourg, Belgium 

After World War II and into the 1970s, Bruges, more specifically the Fire Brigade of Bruges, entertained friendly relations with Bastogne. Each year a free holiday was offered at the seaside in Zeebrugge, to children from the Nuts city.

Arolsen, Hesse, Germany 

From the 1950s until the 1980s, Bruges was the patron of the Belgian First Regiment of Horse Guards, quartered in Arolsen.

Salamanca, Castilla y León, Spain 

Both towns having been made European Capital of Culture in 2002, Bruges had some exchanges organized with Salamanca.

Mons, Hainaut, Belgium 

In 2007, cultural and artistic cooperation between Mons and Bruges was inaugurated.

Burgos, Castilla y León, Spain 

On 29 January 2007, the mayors of Burgos and Bruges signed a declaration of intent about future cooperation on cultural, touristic and economic matters.

Notable people[link]

The following people were born in Bruges:

• Jan Breydel and Pieter de Coninck, freedom fighters
• Philip I of Castile, first Habsburg ruler in Spain (1478–1506)
• Adrian Willaert, composer of the Renaissance, (birth in Bruges uncertain, c. 1490-1562)
• Simon Stevin, mathematician and engineer (1548–1620)
• Franciscus Gomarus, Calvinist theologian (1563–1641)
• Guido Gezelle, poet and priest (1830–1899)
• Gotye, Australian-Belgian singer songwriter (1980)
• Isidore van Kinsbergen, Dutch-Flemish engraver, (1821–1905)

In the 15th century, the city became the magnet for a number of prominent personalities:

• Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy set up court in Bruges, Brussels, and Lille in the 15th century
• William Caxton, English merchant, diplomat, writer, and printer
• Petrus Christus, Flemish painter
• Gerard David, Flemish painter
• Hans Memling, Flemish painter
• Jan van Eyck, Flemish painter
• Juan Luís Vives, Spanish scholar and humanist
• Simon Bening and Levina Teerlinc, Limners

Miscellaneous[link]

The exterior of the Boudewijn Seapark dolphinarium in Bruges.

• Bruges is known for its lace.
• Several beers are named after Bruges, such as Brugge Blond, Brugge Tripel, Brugs, Brugse Babbelaar, Brugse Straffe Hendrik and Brugse Zot. However, only Brugse Zot and Brugse Straffe Hendrik are still brewed in the city itself, in the Halve Maan Brewery.
• In Sint-Michiels is the amusement park Boudewijn Seapark, which features a dolphinarium.
• Fiction:
  • Bruges-la-Morte, a short novel by the Belgian author Georges Rodenbach, first published in 1892.
  • In Bruges, a film from Oscar-winning director Martin McDonagh, starring Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, is set almost entirely in Bruges. The city's major landmarks and history are mentioned repeatedly throughout the film, as are the contrasted viewpoints of the two lead characters of the story.
  • The detective stories of Pieter Aspe are situated in Bruges.
  • The Nun's Story, a dramatic film released by Warner Bros. Pictures in 1959, is mostly set in Bruges.
  • Niccolò Rising, the first volume of the 8 book House of Niccolò series by Dorothy Dunnett is largely set in Bruges, and other books in the series also have sections set in Bruges.
  • Floris, a Dutch television action series, written by Gerard Soeteman.
  • Alan Hollinghurst's novel The Folding Star is set in a Flemish town that is recognisably Bruges.
  • L'Astrologue de Bruges, a Belgian bande dessinée in the Yoko Tsuno series by Roger Leloup, is entirely set in Bruges, both contemporary and in 1545.
  • In the last chapter of Saul Bellow's novel The Adventures of Augie March Augie is driving through France on his way to Bruges on business.

Panoramas[link]

Panorama of the city, taken from the belfry (2009).

360° panorama of 't Zand.

The Markt.

View on the Groenerei (centre) and the Rozenhoedkaai (right).

View from the Rozenhoedkaai.

The Spiegelrei and the Langerei.

The Burg square at dawn.

Outside of the Beguinage, with the Minnewater Park in the background.

Inside of the Beguinage.

Further reading[link]

• de Roover, Raymond. Money, Banking and Credit in Mediaeval Bruges: Italian Merchant-Bankers Lombards and Money-Changers: A Study in The Origins of Banking (Harvard U.P. 1948);
• Murray, James M. Bruges, Cradle of Capitalism 1280–1390 (2005)

References[link]

1. ^ Population per municipality on 1 January 2011 (XLS; 322 KB)
2. ^ Degraer, Hugo (1968). Repertorium van de pers in West-Vlaanderen 1807-1914. Nauwelaerts, University of Michigan. p. 143. http://books.google.com/books?id=1f7iAAAAMAAJ. , Snippet pages 143
3. ^ Boniface, Brian G.; Cooper, Christopher P. (2001). Worldwide destinations: the geography of travel and tourism (3 ed.). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 140. ISBN 0-7506-4231-9. http://books.google.com/books?id=_jzBynlcuTMC. , page 140
4. ^ Statistics Belgium; Population de droit par commune au 1 janvier 2008 (excel-file) Population of all municipalities in Belgium, as of 1 January 2008. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
5. ^ Statistics Belgium; De Belgische Stadsgewesten 2001 (pdf-file) Definitions of metropolitan areas in Belgium. The metropolitan area of Bruges is divided into three levels. First, the central agglomeration (agglomeratie), which in this case is Bruges municipality, with 117,073 inhabitants (2008-01-01). Adding the closest surroundings (banlieue) gives a total of 166,502. And, including the outer commuter zone (forensenwoonzone) the population is 255,844. Retrieved on 2008-10-19.
6. ^ Dunton, Larkin (1896). The World and Its People. Silver, Burdett. p. 158. 
7. ^ Maurits Gysseling, Toponymisch woordenboek van België, Nederland, Luxemburg, Noord-Frankrijk en West-Duitsland (vóór 1226), Brussel 1960, p. 195.
8. ^ Etymology of Bruges and Brug (Dutch)
9. ^ M. Philippa, F. Debrabandere, A. Quak, T. Schoonheim & N. van der Sijs (2003-2009), Etymologisch woordenboek van het Nederlands, AUP: Amsterdam.
10. ^ Braudel, Fernand, The Perspective of the World, in Vol.III Civilization and Capitalism, 1984
11. ^ Philip the Good: the apogee of Burgundy by Richard Vaughan, p201
12. ^ ^{a b} Dunton, Larkin (1896). The World and Its People. Silver, Burdett. p. 160. 
13. ^ David Plant (2007-09-10). "Charles, Prince of Wales, (later Charles II), 1630-85". British-civil-wars.co.uk. http://www.british-civil-wars.co.uk/biog/charles2.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-07. 
14. ^ Historic centre of Bruges becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site
15. ^ Dunton, Larkin (1896). The World and Its People. Silver, Burdett. p. 161. 
16. ^ http://www.maib.gov.uk/cms_resources.cfm?file=/HofFEfinal.pdf

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Brugge

• Official website (English), also available in

Dutch, French and German

• Visit-Bruges.com (English)
• Texts on Wikisource:
  • "Bruges". Encyclopaedia Britannica. 4 (9th ed.). 1878. 
  • Demetrius Charles Boulger (1911). "Bruges". In Chisholm, Hugh. Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. 
  • "Bruges". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. 

v t e Municipalities in the Province of West Flanders, Flanders, Belgium Bruges Beernem Blankenberge Bruges/Brugge Damme Jabbeke Knokke-Heist Oostkamp Torhout Zedelgem Zuienkerke Diksmuide Diksmuide Houthulst Koekelare Kortemark Lo-Reninge Kortrijk Anzegem Avelgem Deerlijk Harelbeke Kortrijk Kuurne Lendelede Menen Spiere-Helkijn Waregem Wevelgem Zwevegem Ostend Bredene De Haan Gistel Ichtegem Middelkerke Oostende/Ostend Oudenburg Roeselare Hooglede Ingelmunster Izegem Ledegem Lichtervelde Moorslede Roeselare Staden Tielt Ardooie Dentergem Meulebeke Oostrozebeke Pittem Ruiselede Tielt Wielsbeke Wingene Veurne Alveringem De Panne Koksijde Nieuwpoort Veurne Ypres Heuvelland Ieper/Ypres Langemark-Poelkapelle Mesen Poperinge Vleteren Wervik Zonnebeke

v t e World Heritage Sites in Belgium Brussels Grand Place · Major Town Houses of the Architect Victor Horta · Stoclet House Flanders Belfries of Belgium and France1 · Bruges (historic centre) · Flemish Béguinages · Plantin-Moretus House-Workshops-Museum Complex Wallonia Belfries of Belgium and France1 · Four Lifts on the Canal du Centre and their Environs, La Louvière and Le Rœulx, Hainault · Neolithic flint mines at Spiennes · Notre-Dame Cathedral of Tournai 1 Shared locally with other regions and with France

v t e Members of the Hanseatic League by Quarter Chief cities are highlighted; Free Imperial Cities of the Holy Roman Empire are shown in italics. Wendish Quarter Lübeck Anklam · Demmin · Greifswald · Hamburg · Kolberg (Kołobrzeg) · Lüneburg · Rostock · Rügenwalde (Darłowo) · Stettin (Szczecin) · Stolp (Słupsk) · Stockholm · Stralsund · Visby · Wismar Saxon Quarter Brunswick Berlin · Bremen · Erfurt · Frankfurt an der Oder · Goslar · Magdeburg Baltic Quarter Danzig (Gdańsk) Breslau (Wrocław) · Dorpat (Tartu) · Elbing (Elbląg) · Königsberg (Kaliningrad) · Kraków · Reval (Tallinn) · Rīga · Thorn (Toruń) Westphalian Quarter Cologne* Dortmund* Deventer · Groningen · Kampen · Münster · Osnabrück · Soest Principal Kontore Bryggen (Bergen) · Hanzekantoor (Bruges, Antwerp†) · Steelyard (London) · Peterhof (Novgorod) Subsidiary Kontore Bishop's Lynn · Falsterbo · Ipswich · Kovno (Kaunas) · Malmö · Polotsk · Pskov Other cities Bristol · Boston · Damme · Leith · Herford · Hull · Newcastle · Stargard · Yarmouth · York * Cologne and Dortmund were both capital of the Westphalian Quarter at different times. † Antwerp gained importance once Bruges became inaccessible due to the silting of the Zwin channel.

Colin Farrell
Farrell at the premiere of Ondine at the Tribeca Film Festival, 28 April 2010
Born	Colin James Farrell (1976-05-31) 31 May 1976 (age 36) Dublin, Republic of Ireland
Occupation	Actor
Years active	1996–present
Spouse	Amelia Warner (2001; divorced)
Partner	Kim Bordenave (2002–03; 1 child) Alicja Bachleda-Curus (2009–2010; 1 child)
Website
www.colinfarrell.org

Colin James Farrell (born 31 May 1976) is an Irish actor, who has appeared in such films as Tigerland, Miami Vice, Minority Report, Phone Booth, The Recruit, Alexander and S.W.A.T.. In 2008 he received a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges.

Early life[link]

Farrell was born in Dublin, the son of Rita (née Monaghan), a housewife, and Eamon Farrell, a footballer who played for Shamrock Rovers F.C. and owned a company importing and exporting canned goods in Dublin City.^[1][2] He was raised as a Roman Catholic.^[3][4] His uncle Tommy Farrell also played for Rovers. Farrell has two sisters, Claudine (who is his personal assistant)^[5] and Catherine, and a brother, Eamon Jr. When he was ten, the Farrells moved to Castleknock, a Dublin suburb.^[6] Farrell was educated at St. Brigid's National School Castleknock followed by Castleknock College and Gormanston College. Farrell unsuccessfully auditioned for the Irish group Boyzone when he was still unknown.^[7] Farrell attended The Gaiety School of Acting, but dropped out and was cast in the part of Danny Byrne on Ballykissangel, a BBC television drama. Farrell appeared on the show seven times from 1998 to 1999. He was inspired to try acting after being brought to tears while watching E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial.^[8]

Career[link]

Farrell had small parts in television shows and films, including the BBC drama Ballykissangel in 1998, and his film debut in Tim Roth's The War Zone.^[9] In 2000, he was cast in the lead role of Private Roland Bozz in Tigerland, an American film directed by Joel Schumacher. Farrell's next American films, American Outlaws (2001) and Hart's War (2002), were not commercially successful, but his 2003 films, including Phone Booth, S.W.A.T., and The Recruit were well-received box office successes. Although he has a pronounced Irish accent, Farrell uses an American accent in some of his films including American Outlaws and his breakthrough role, Tigerland.

Farrell roles as a supporting actor include his performances as an ambitious cop who chases after a potential criminal, played by actor Tom Cruise, in Minority Report (2002), and as the skilled villain Bullseye in Daredevil (2003). Matt Damon was originally offered the Minority Report role but he turned it down to appear in Ocean's Eleven.^[10] Farrell said "he had no problem" that people knew he was the producer's fall back pick after Damon declined.^[11] The character of Bullseye is that of an assassin with perfect accuracy and deep-rooted pride of it. Farrell was attached to this role in December 2001, though initially he was considered for the lead role as Matt Murdock, aka Daredevil, until Ben Affleck signed.^[12] Farrell was encouraged to keep his Irish accent as this version of Bullseye is from Ireland.^[13] Farrell had to read into Frank Miller's Daredevil comics to understand Bullseye "because the expression on the character's faces in the comic books, and just the way they move sometimes, and the exaggerations of the character I'm playing […] he's so over-the-top that you do draw from that. But it's not exactly a character you can do method acting for... you know, running around New York killing people with paper clips."^[14]

Farrell at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival

In late 2003, Farrell starred as a criminal who plots a bank heist with Cillian Murphy in the comedy Intermission, which held the record as highest-grossing Irish independent film in Irish box office history until 2006.^[15] In 2004, Farrell appeared in several independent films that received only a limited theatrical release in most countries, including A Home at the End of the World, which received some positive reviews.^[16][17] Farrell appeared in the title role of Alexander the Great in Oliver Stone's 2004 biographical film Alexander, which, while receiving some favourable reviews internationally, was poorly received in the United States.^[18] It was marked by controversy for portraying the ancient conqueror as bisexual, and received criticism from some historians for its portrayal of the ancient Persians,^[19] though others praised it for its accuracy in these regards as well.^[20][21] The movie grossed a total of $167 million worldwide, despite its poor showing within the United States, just exceeding its budget of $155 million.^[22]

Farrell's next film was 2005's Academy Award-nominated The New World, also a historical epic that was met with mixed reviews.^[23] Farrell played the leading role of Captain John Smith, the founder of 17th century colonial Jamestown, Virginia who falls in love with a beautiful Native American princess, Pocahontas, played by Q'Orianka Kilcher. The film received positive reviews, despite being released in only 811 theatres worldwide and having a relatively low box office gross.^[24][25]

The New World was followed by Ask the Dust, a romance film set in period Los Angeles and co-starring Salma Hayek. It received a very limited theatrical release and was not a financial success.^[26] 2006 brought more success in Farrell's career, as he appeared opposite Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann's action-crime film Miami Vice. The film was a box office success grossing a total of US $164 million worldwide.^[27] Farrell was next seen in Woody Allen's Cassandra's Dream, which premiered in 2007 and was distributed in the U.S. in early 2008. Farrell's next film, Martin McDonagh's In Bruges, opened the Sundance Film Festival in 2008; Farrell received his first Golden Globe nomination and win for his role as Ray, a hired hitman. Shortly thereafter, he appeared in Kicking It, a documentary following six homeless men from different countries as they attempt to qualify for the Homeless World Cup. Farrell appeared on screen and provided narration. The film released simultaneously in theatres and television, airing on ESPN2 with a very short window to DVD release. Farrell received positive press for his involvement in the heartwarming true-life tale, and enthusiastic reviews for the two dramatic roles that preceded it.

On 11 January 2009, he won the Golden Globe award for Best Actor: Musical or Comedy for his role in In Bruges, in which he co-starred with Brendan Gleeson. The same year, he starred in Terry Gilliam's film The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, alongside Christopher Plummer. He was one of the actors, along with Johnny Depp and Jude Law, who helped complete the late Heath Ledger's role after he died before filming ended. They all played "Imaginarium" versions of Ledger's character Tony. He also took a supporting role as Tommy Sweet in Crazy Heart, alongside Academy Award-winning Jeff Bridges.

2010 saw the release of Ondine, a fantasy-drama directed by Neil Jordan, which stars Farrell as a fisherman. It also saw him star opposite Keira Knightley in the crime / romance London Boulevard. The film was directed by William Monahan, screenplay writer of The Departed and Body of Lies.

Farrell starred in the 2011 comedy movie Horrible Bosses, with Jennifer Aniston, Jason Bateman and Jason Sudeikis, directed by Seth Gordon. The film focuses on a trio of employees who plot to murder their titular tyrannical supervisors.^[28] Later that year, Farrell played the lead role in the Fright Night remake.^[29] Farrell joined Anton Yelchin, David Tennant, and Toni Collette in this story about a charismatic vampire who moves in next to a high school student. The film was released by Dreamworks, with Craig Gillespie having directed.

Upcoming films[link]

Farrell at the 2007 Toronto Film Festival

Farrell is involved in a film adaptation of Flann O'Brien's metafictional novel At Swim-Two-Birds alongside Cillian Murphy and Gabriel Byrne. Actor Brendan Gleeson will direct the film, which was scheduled for release in 2010.^[30] In October 2009, however, Gleeson expressed fear that, should the Irish Film Board be abolished as planned by the Irish State, the production may fall through.^[31]

Additionally, Farrell is set to star in Columbia Pictures' Total Recall (a remake of the 1990 film of the same name), which filmed from May to September 2011 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Directed by Len Wiseman, the film is a new take on the Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi picture about a sleeper agent who is compelled to travel to a colony on Mars. Kurt Wimmer (Salt) wrote the script, which like the original is based on the Philip K. Dick story "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale."^[32]

Personal life[link]

Colin Farrell was reportedly married to English actress Amelia Warner from July 2001 to November 2001.^[33] However, in December 2011, Amelia Warner said that the marriage ceremony was not legal.^[34]

Colin and British writer Emma Forrest dated for over a year, an experience she discusses in depth in her memoir Your Voice In My Head. According to Forrest, they had planned to have a child together, before he ended the relationship.

Colin and US model Kim Bordenave became parents of James Padraig Farrell, born in 2003, in Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles. In October 2007, Farrell revealed that his son has Angelman Syndrome, a rare genetic disorder characterised by intellectual and developmental delay.^[35]

Farrell and Ondine co-star Alicja Bachleda-Curus have a son, Henry Tadeusz Farrell, born in October 2009^[36] One year after the birth of their son, Alicja Bachleda Curus and Colin Farrell decided to end their relationship. ^{[37][dead link]}

Friendship with Elizabeth Taylor[link]

Farrell had reportedly grown very close to Elizabeth Taylor shortly before her death and was one of the few non-family members to attend her private funeral.^[38] He recited the poem The Leaden Echo and The Golden Echo by Gerard Manley Hopkins at her funeral, requested by Taylor herself.

Drug addictions[link]

In December 2005, Farrell voluntarily checked into a rehabilitation treatment center for addictions to recreational drugs and painkillers.^{[citation needed]} His publicist commented that Farrell had started taking painkillers due to a back injury.^{[citation needed]}

Sex tape[link]

In July 2006, Farrell filed a lawsuit suing his former girlfriend, Playboy model Nicole Narain, and the Internet Commerce Group (ICG) over the unauthorised public distribution of a 14-minute sex tape that Farrell made with Narain in 2003.^[39] It was leaked to ICG who tried to release it publicly. A Los Angeles judge issued an injunction barring the sale, distribution, or display of the tape.^{[citation needed]}

Narain claimed that she did not give the tape to anyone and was not sure if or how copies were taken from her. She originally said that she would work with Farrell to ensure that it remained private, but Farrell said that Narain was trying to release it in order to damage his acting career and "make money out of it", which Narain denies.^{[40][41][dead link]}

A trial date for the Narain lawsuit was set for 17 July 2006, but the judge allowed Farrell and Nicole to mediate until 20 April. On 16 April, the two reached a settlement with confidential terms. However, Farrell's lawsuit against ICG continued with a trial date set for 21 July 2006.^[42]

Stalker incidents[link]

Farrell has a stalking restraining order against telephone sex worker Dessarae Bradford.^[43]. Bradford had twice attempted to sue Farrell, alleging abusive messages, but the lawsuits were dismissed due to a lack of evidence provided by Bradford.^[44][45] Bradford also failed a lie detector test on an i TV program while attempting to support her claims and stories.^[46]

On 20 July 2006, as Farrell was being interviewed by Jay Leno on the set of The Tonight Show, Bradford evaded security, walked on stage as cameras were rolling, confronted Farrell, and threw her book on Leno's desk. Farrell escorted her off the stage himself, telling the camera crew to stop filming, and handed her over to security. As Bradford was led out of the studio, she shouted "I'll see you in court." Farrell's response was, "Darling, you're insane!" NBC security handed her to Burbank police, who eventually released her. After Farrell apologised to the audience, describing Bradford as "my first stalker", the show continued filming and the incident was edited out of the aired broadcast.^[45] The following day, Farrell obtained a restraining order against Bradford.^[43]

Bradford has recorded a song entitled "Colin Farrell is My Bitch" and has self-published a book called Colin Farrell: A Dark Twisted Puppy.^[44]

Celebrity status[link]

Farrell was named one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People" in 2003.^[47] He was also voted sixth in the World's "Sexiest Man" contest by Company magazine that same year.^[48]

In 2007, Farrell joined other celebrities to become an official games spokesman for the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China.^[49]

Filmography[link]